A Tale of Two Cities
by whitefox13
Summary: Well then lets see bravery is not something you lack hmm and you seem very well versed both Griffindor and Ravenclaw would be lucky to have you, but I see an inner strength one that you do not even know so I believe… yes it’s... summary inside slashhet
1. Chapter 1

A Tale of Two Cities

A/N no it has nothing to do with the play by William Shakespeare, also I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters.

Synopsis: In America, a new dark force that rivals Voldemort is rising, they send their only hope, the heir to some of the greatest power in the universe, to England and Hogwarts to study under the famed Severus Snape. But when he gets there he finds himself in the middle of Englands own war and between a rock and a hard place in the forms of Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy. Meanwhile Harry is finding it hard to think straight with his almost constant debilitating visions, his renewed Occlumancy classes with Severus and his new infatuation with Blaise Zabini Draco Malfoys best friend and second in command. There are two wars two cities and seven lives bound by them.

Archer grimaced as he looked up at the imposing castle, the academy had been nothing like this, he thought running his hands threw his messy red hair. It had been small and cozy, this school… Hogwarts looked like a labyrinth in comparison. One just waiting to ensnare and kill him in its dark depths, all the students he had talked to had been all too exuberant when explaining it's warmth and family like ties. He should have realized it was too good to be true.

"Are you going to stand there like a slack jawed idiot or are you going to follow me inside? I have no preference, one less dimwitted brat to try and enlighten in the subtle art that is potions would make my week." The grumpy man who had picked him up at the airport that morning snarled. Archer shook his head and smiled at the huge bat of a man.

"M' commin' Prafessor" the red head said in a distinctly southern drawl, and ran after the older man who had already swept up the steps. Catching up to him about halfway across what looked to be the main entry way Archer fell in to step just behind and to the left of his new professor.

An older woman in a pointed hat and billowing robes met them at the huge door to what he could only assume was another part of the castle. She shook her head slightly rubbing her forehead.

"Hello Minerva" Professor Snape said pushing Archer towards the woman.

"Hello Severus, this is the transfer then?" she asked eyeing Archer like he would attack at any moment. _What did Michalnie tell these people about me? _Archer wondered as the two professors shared a knowing look. "My name is Professor McGonagall," she started in a clipped tone, "You will follow me in to the hall and then be sorted, do not talk until after the head master has given his speech." She finished turning and throwing open the large oak doors.

Archer shrugged slightly and followed McGonagall in to what she had deemed 'the hall' looking around as they made their way down the middle isle. He could feel the stares of all the students, there were so many of them. The academy had been a small community with about 15 children per grade, Archer could already feel himself shaking he **Hated **crowds. It seemed as if the whole hall had started to whisper all at once the noise made him feel like a freak on parade. He was led to a stool and told to sit on it, once he did an old ratty hat was put on his head.

_What the hell? A hat is this some kind of fucking joke?_

_Not a joke young man I am the Hogwarts sorting hat, I must say this is most unorthodox you are much older then any other I have sorted_

_I am not talking with a hat I refuse_

_Well then let's see bravery is not something you lack hmm and you seem very well versed both Gryffindor and Ravenclaw would be lucky to have you, but I see an inner strength one that you do not even know so I believe… yes it's_…Slytherin!!!!

Archer looked at the head table not quite sure where to go, Snape inclined his head to the far table closest to the far wall. Smiling at the dark man for the second time that night Archer made his way to the table with the green snake emblem above it. A small blond boy gestured to the seat next to him and Archer took it gladly. All of the Slytherins smiled and nodded at him and for the first time since he had seen the foreboding castle he thought maybe he could get used to this.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N well here you go chapter two we still don't see Harry or Draco but just wait they are coming

----------Three months earlier, Salem Massachusetts, USA.--------------

In the Salem Witch Academy a small mansion in the hills of Salem it was a four year school just like every other secondary school in the states.

There were 15 students per grade and four dorm rooms for each, along with one common, all of the students were housed on the second floor of the mansion, the first floor was the rec. rooms and kitchens. The fourth and fifth were all classes and the sixth was the teachers rooms and offices. Sixteen teachers a dean and a associate dean took care of all 60 students.

There was one student that stood out, Archer Augustus was 17 and due to begin his last year at the academy come fall, although he lived there year round. He was extremely powerful and came from an old line. He was a relative of the great Marcus Mandela one of the founders of the school, and one of the original five who destroyed Sisintla the demon of destruction and mistrust one of the reasons for the original witch trials. He had "the power of the stars" and ancient power passed down from his ancestors in ancient Rome. Every first male in his family had it, he was the first male in the family to be born in twenty years, the rest were all dead or insane.

Michalnie Augustus the Dean of SWA was Archers uncle on his fathers side and had taken care of the young man for years since his father had been placed in an asylum and his mother had run off with a younger man. He had kept his nephew safe with his own gift of foresight, but now his eye was clouded and unsure, the one thing he did know was that Archer would not be safe in America much longer.

------------in the common-------------

Archer sat on the floor propped up against the plush leather couch, his best friend Michelle was laying on the couch flipping threw a sports illustrated and commenting on the Yankees decline over the last few months.

"They looked so promising in spring training, but look at this Arrie," he said turning and shoving the magazine in the red heads face, "they lost to the cubs, the cubs Arrie how am I going to live this down? Mike is going to gloat forever!" Michelle said throwing the magazine across the room and pouting childishly. Archer laughed and got up to pick the wayward magazine off the floor and drop it back on to the side table.

"Calm down Mitch M sure they'll pull threw they are a lot better then the cubs don worry bout it." He drawled laughing at his friends' appalled face.

"You just don't understand Arrie it is the last two months of the season!" Archer just rolled his eyes getting up off the floor and making his way down the hall to the kitchen, calling back to his friend once he was half way down the corridor.

"Come on yall need to eat sumthin maybe then yall wont be so cranky." He laughed and took off at a sprint once he had said that, Mitch on his heels.

-----------three weeks later------------

Dean Augustus looked out the window in to the dark night, he had just gotten disturbing news, there was an uprising in the south the wizards there were scared darkness was coming from South America. It was bad it was evil and it was moving fast. Archer knew it was coming he had been jumpy and distant for the last week or so. Michalnie wondered why the boy hadn't come to him but now he thought he knew. Archer had to leave, not only Massachusetts but America all together, grabbing a pen and paper Michalnie wrote down the various countries he could trust.

_Japan_

_Russia _

_France_

_The check republic _

_Germany_

_Rome_

_England_

Looking at his soft flowing had writing Michalnie still could not pick one, he decided on speaking with his colleges, Archer had to be moved and it had to be fast. Tapping his wand to the speaker on his desk he spoke in to the end of the holly stick.

"All senior staff meet in the deans' office now!" he barked taping the speaker once again.

Five minutes later his senior staff was assembled sitting at a low table in the back room of his office.

"So Michal why exactly are we here?" Brook Gardenly the charms teacher asked throwing her long blond hair over her shoulder.

"I would like to know that also," Marcus the transfiguration teacher added lifting an eye brow and leaning his blond head on his hands.

"It seems we have a problem," Michalnie said coolly "there is an evil rising our friends in the south send word that unrest spreads. It is the time we have been waiting for but Archer is not yet ready in any sense. We need to find a way to hide him and train him at the same time. I have a few ideas but none that make much sense in the real world. So any ideas I am at a stand still as it is."

"Well I have an idea," a small voice came from an equally as small man Andre Prince the astrology teacher. "My second cousin Severus Snape lives and teaches in England at Hogwarts I'm sure they would take the boy." He said timidly

"That," Michalnie said with a thoughtful look on his face, "is a very good idea. What say you all are we in agreement?"

"Aye," they all coursed

"Then it is settled, Andre how fast can you get in touch with this Snape?"

"Oh well at least with in the next few weeks, is that fast enough?"

"Yes I suppose." The dark haired dean said looking around at the five other teachers. Putting his hand in to the middle of the table the rest of the teachers did the same.

"We protect and serve the Children of America," Michalnie said softly

"As is the word of Andre Prince."

"As is the word of Brook Gardenly"

"As is the word of Marcus Baeroth"

"As is the word of Darling Mitchell"

"As is the word of Samuel Brown"

"As say you all; so say I Michalnie Augustus."

Their hands shone a bright yellow and they took then from the circle they had made each teacher stood and left in turn leaving the dean and his associate dean Samuel Brown.

"This is only the beginning of a great and horrible war Sam."

"This is the beginning of a lot more then that Mich."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N well here goes nothing I am just speeding along thanks to my reviewers and I hope this helps a little with explanations.. but it probably wont

It is a short chapter

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter

------September 10th, England, The great hall------------

Albus Dumbledore was unsure of his decision for the first time in a very long time. When Severus had come to him with a request to bring an exchange student to Hogwarts Albus had been intrigued; their relationship with America had been tense at best for the last few decades. And before that it had been atrocious, the succession of the colonies had many people in the ministry of magic in a tiff and the Americans were none too happy with the loss of life the revolutionary wizards had created in the muggle populace of their new country.

So an act like this one was unheard of, and Albus was all for it until Severus had told him exactly whom it was that they were sending. Archer Augustus was from the well know house of Mandela an ancient house that held the power of five.

It seemed the darkness from the south was once again gathering, and this time the power of five was held in one boy one hope whom was no where near ready for what was to come.

Now he would have been sent to France or Rome if it had not been for Andre Prince, a distant cousin of Severus's, who had requested the boy be sent to Hogwarts to train under Severus. It seemed that the potions masters reputation in defense was know all over the wizarding world and his ties to Voldomort where only known in Europe.

After three months and a lot of consideration Albus had decided to allow the young man to attend his school. He was due at Hogwarts on September 1st like every one else, but a family emergency had held him in the states for a week and a half more, Severus had left earlier that day to pick up the young man.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts the headmaster stood turning to the students sitting in the great hall.

"Good evening children," he started smiling "I have an exiting piece of news for all of you, tonight there will be a new addition to our school. A foreign exchange student by the name of Archer Augustus will be joining us from America. So let's be welcoming and make him feel at home."

There was a hum of excitement in the hall and right on time the doors burst open and Minerva brought Archer in, he was tall and built with a shock of short dark red hair and light green eyes. Immediately all of the female populace of the school and quite a bit of the male half started whispering to each other, he was already popular. Albus smiled at him but the boy didn't seem to notice he was off in his own little world looking around at the students and at the stool. Severus slipped in as the young man took his seat on the stool and Minerva place the sorting hat on his head a few seconds passed before it jumped a bit and declared "SLYTHERIN!" Archer looked lost for a second before he caught Severus's eye and the professor tilted his head towards the Slytherin table. The applause was deafening and the old head master was happy that the students had taken his words to heart.

At the Slytherin Table

Draco Raised an eye brow at the red head that was making his way towards Slytherin the Archer family was a very old very prestigious family in the wizarding world and since they had married in to the Mandela family they had risen even farther in the society of the wizarding elite. The only thing bothering Malfoy was that the two families had not kept their contempt for the English a secret, why the heir to both would be coming to Hogwarts made no sense what so ever. As he made his way over looking quite lost Draco gave him a friendly smile and moved over so that Archer could sit next to him. Archer grinned and took the offered seat, Draco was happy to note that his fellow Slytherins followed his lead smiling and nodding at the newest addition to their house.

at the Gryffindor table

Ron rolled his eyes as Ginny made another comment about how "amazingly hot" the new boy was, all Ron could see was another Slytherin that would make his life hell… Harry on the other hand seemed quite interested in the new student seeing as he was staring at the table of snakes like it was a particularly thrilling match of Quiddich.

"mate you okay?" Ron asked lifting an eye brow and inclining his head towards his best friend.

"yeah Ron m' fine" Harry muttered back still staring at the Slytherins. Ron just rolled his eyes and turned back to his food he'd find out what was wrong with Harry later, right now he had food to eat.

A/N 2 well this is a short chapter sorry, I will try to get deeper in to Archers past next chapter and we will hear from Harry, I am sorry if things are still a bit hazy but I have a plot that needs to be worked up to, the next few chapters will clear some things up!

Much love


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